somewhere after midnight
by faithsette
Summary: A kiss a day while daddy's away. Soldier Castle AU.


Easing herself from where she's slumped over the kitchen counter, Kate Beckett tosses her empty coffee mug into the sink and makes her way through the living room, takes the stairs two at a time.

She flips the hall light on and gently pushes against the second door on the right, her body hovering with her hand resting on the doorknob. The corners of her lips curl as she watches on, unnoticed, as her daughter clutches her stuffed penguin, Tuxedo, tightly to her chest with one arm. It's the one Rick got for her before his last deployment and she hasn't let it out of her sight since.

Looking at her, Kate can't help the way her heart swells. At five years old, Juliana Grace is the perfect mix of the two of them. She has her complexion, her chestnut curls, but her eyes, that piercing blue that pulls you right in, those are all her father.

The girl crosses the room, stops only once she's in front of her dresser, and Kate lets her head lull against the door frame. Juliana reaches into the jar in front of her, the front labeled in decorative lettering, fancy script that reads: _a kiss a day while daddy's away_. It was his idea, a way to really show their little girl just how many days until he returns, and she'll never forget the way Juliana's face lit up when she got to help decorate. She's responsible for the pink glitter that covers the circumference, the ribbon tied around the neck.

She expects her daughter to pick out a Hershey's kiss and put the lid back on, but to her surprise her tiny hand reaches in and grabs three. She eats one, and just as she's opening the second Kate pushes the door open the rest of the way.

"Hey, you," she says, laughing at the sharp twist her daughter makes at her entrance. "What are you doing?"

Juliana blinks, tightening her hold on Tuxedo. "Getting one of daddy's kisses."

She walks up to the girl, gently shoving at the other two now dropped onto the surface of her dresser. "You're only supposed to take one every night, remember?" Her daughter nods slowly, her eyes trained on her sock covered feet. Sighing, Kate sits herself at the edge of the bed. "Jules," she coaxes, wrapping one arm around the girl's shoulders to pull her onto the bed, tucked into her side. "Have you been taking extra kisses every night?"

Wordlessly, Juliana nods.

"How come?"

"You said that when the kisses are gone, daddy will come home," she says, lifting her eyes to her mother's. "If I take some extra kisses every night they'll disappear faster and daddy will be here."

Kate's heart breaks, shatters, the shards embedding themselves between her ribs. "Oh, baby girl, that's not how it works," she sighs, curling the girl into her chest. "I know you miss daddy. I miss him too."

There's a small mumble against her shirt. "You do?"

She manages to laugh at that. "Of course I do, silly. I miss him very much." Pulling away, she tips her daughter's chin up with her index finger. "But you know what? He'll be here before you know it."

"It's too long," is the response she gets then, Tuxedo falling limp into Kate's lap as Juliana's little arms wrap around her mother. "I want him home now."

Kate rubs at her back. "I know," she soothes, doesn't know what else to say, what would make this any better. She has a husband who's overseas and a daughter who's trying to speed up his return by stealing extra kisses at night. "Why don't you take Tuxedo and get into your pajamas, okay? I'll bring up some hot chocolate and we can read a bedtime story."

Juliana nods, taking hold of the penguin once more before sliding out from her mother's grip.

"And only one kiss from now on, baby, okay?"

"Okay," she says, shooting Kate a small smile. "Can we have marshmallows in our hot chocolate?"

Kate laughs, running a hand through the girl's hair as she nods. "Of course."

That night, she sneaks the daddy kiss jar out of Juliana's room and returns it with the right amount of Hershey kisses.

* * *

Kate's at the stove, spatula in hand as she flips the last of the pancakes. Halfway through, she switched to shapes other than circles, knowing that Jules will want something with a little _flare_ , as she calls it. She's still fairly certain Martha's responsible for their five year old knowing what flare even is.

A quick glance at the clock tells her it's time to wake up the girl in question if she wants to get her to school on time.

She walks through the door, the room still blanketed in darkness, sun barely peeking through the blinds. Perching herself at the edge of the bed, she shakes gently at her daughter's shoulders.

"Jules," she whispers, leaning in close. "Time to get up."

There's a small whine in response and Kate barely suppresses a chuckle. This, she knows, Juliana gets from her. Her mother had told her time and time again that she was a nightmare to wake up, even as a child. She supposes this is the start of her payback, but with a face as pure as the one in front of her, slack with sleep, little nose scrunched with the disturbance, she can't find it in her to mind.

"Come on, baby," she tries again, a hand brushing a few rogue curls from her forehead. "Gotta get ready for school. I made pancakes."

That gets more of a response, the fluttering of tiny eyelids, and then she's blinking up at her mother. She searches blindly behind her, pulling Tuxedo from where he'd gotten tossed during the night.

"Do I have to?" she mumbles, and the look she gives Kate is enough to have her caving. "I wanna stay with you today, Mommy."

Kate sighs, staring at her daughter. She knows what she _should_ do. She should make sure she gets up, gets dressed, and send her off to kindergarten. But the conversation from the other night rings in her mind, just how much Juliana misses Rick, and she softens. The girl doesn't miss school often, only when she's sick or when she falls for the puppy dog eyes and pouty lip, and what would one day really do?

It's exactly eleven months since Rick's been gone today, and while Jules doesn't know that, doesn't have any clue other than it's been a long time since she's seen her daddy, Kate would be lying if she said she didn't want to spend the day with her daughter, too.

"Tell you what," she says, tapping Juliana on the nose. "You get up right now, get dressed, and we'll have a girl's day today. And tonight, you go to bed without any problems. Deal?"

The beaming smile, tired as it is, that greets her tells her she's made the right decision. "Deal!"

Juliana's up in an instant, sliding off of the bed and heading for her dresser. Kate laughs at the sudden burst of energy and shakes her head, taps at the side of the girl's thigh before turning for the door.

"Hustle, little one," she teases. "We've got a full day ahead of us."

She doesn't yet know what they'll be doing, but since she plans on letting Juliana choose, she can only assume it'll be a whirlwind of varying activities.

* * *

Her daughter's downstairs in record time, dressed in her favorite fall dress and a pair of black flats. Kate watches the girl climb onto the stool, penguin seated in her lap.

"Did you put your shoes on all by yourself?"

"I did."

"And do they feel okay?" she asks, her lips pursed in an attempt to hide a grin.

Juliana looks down as she wiggles her feet around, swinging her legs back and forth. "Yeah," she says then, nodding.

Kate rounds the island, squatting down in front of the girl. She'd noticed when she was walking down the stairs that her feet were both pointing just a bit outwards, a tell tale sign that she's put her shoes on the wrong feet again. Pulling off the flats, she switches them around, puts them back onto the right feet before standing up once more.

"Does that feel better?"

She gets a nod. "Uh huh."

"Good. Now, do you want a star or... this shape that kind of looks like a paint splatter?"

Juliana giggles at the unfortunate pancake she holds up. "The paint, it looks funny."

"One funny paint splatter coming up," Kate accepts, putting what was supposed to be a sun onto a plate, cutting it up into bite-sized pieces. She doesn't bother asking if she wants syrup before she puts some on the side to dip, knowing that she will. "Order up."

"Thank you."

Kate gets her own pancake, settling for one of the normal ones, and sits beside Juliana at the counter.

"So, what do you want to do today?"

The girl lets out a hum, her tongue peeking out in concentration. She looks so much like Rick when she thinks, the little furrow of her brows, the pure concentration evident on her face.

"Can we go to the zoo?" she asks excitedly, her face lighting up.

She should have known.

Kate pretends to think it over, her mouth twisted to the side, fingers resting on her chin.

"Mommy, _please_ ," Juliana says, looking up at her with those big blue eyes. She's not sure exactly when she learned to use them against her parents, but she certainly has. "Pretty please, we can go see your elephants!"

Her face cracks at that, the smile unbidden as she huffs a laugh. Juliana's been calling them _her elephants_ for a while now, ever since Rick explained that they're her favorite animal, just like hers are the penguins. Every time they've gone to the zoo since, she's pointed definitively at the elephant enclosure and bellowed, "Mommy, there are your elephants!"

"I think we could handle that," she says, smiling down at Juliana's beaming face. "But first you have to go brush your teeth, kid."

Her daughter's off the seat like a hot shot, practically trips over her own feet in her haste to get upstairs and hurry on to the zoo. Kate just shakes her head and moves to clean up the counter, putting their dishes into the sink.

When Juliana comes down five minutes later, she slides into her mother's legs, face tilted up. "Can Tuxedo come?"

"To the zoo?"

"Uh huh. He wants to see his family."

"How do you know Tuxedo's family is at _this_ zoo?"

"I just know," she says seriously, the penguin in question not-so-subtly inching closer to her the longer she's silent.

"You've gotta watch him though, okay?" Jules nods quickly. "If not, he could get lost and you don't want to lose him, do you?"

"I won't lose him," she says. "I promise."

"Okay then." Kate bends down until she's eye level with the stuffed animal. "Well, Tuxedo, looks like you're coming with us."

Juliana squeals happily, turning on her heels to run to the coat closet. She grabs Kate's too, both coats weighing down her small body as she hauls them over to her mother.

"Here, Mommy."

"Thanks, sweetheart," she smiles, taking the coat from where it dangles just above the ground. "You ready?"

"Yes!" Juliana bounces on the spot, hugging Tuxedo to her chest. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"The zoo isn't going anywhere, Jules," Kate laughs.

Her daughter lets out a dramatic sigh, a move she has no one else to blame for but herself. She is her mother's daughter.

"On the lay, Mommy!"

A brow arches and she blinks, staring at the girl. "Excuse me?"

"On the lay!"

Is her daughter seriously trying to say _andale_? "Where did you learn that?" she asks, amusement written all over her face.

"Gramma," she says with a shrug of her small shoulders. "She said it to a show friend when he was walking too slow."

A loud laughter bubbles from her body, and she makes a mental note to tell Martha about this later, to let her know just what she's doing to her granddaughter's vocabulary. She shuffles over quickly, bending down to huddle the girl into her chest from behind, shaking her gently as she wraps her arms around her. Juliana bursts into fits of giggles as she tries to squirm out of her mother's grasp.

"Mommy," she manages, her high pitched voice even higher with her laughter. "Mommy, stop!"

Kate relents after a few more seconds, brushing two open palms over the girl's head.

"Let's go, you."

"And Tuxedo!"

"Let's go you _two_ ," she amends apologetically, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

In a not so surprising turn of events, the penguins are the first place they go.

"Tuxedo is only little, Mommy, he might get too tired if we wait," Juliana had said with a shake of her head when she'd asked if there was somewhere else they should start.

Jules runs up to an open space in front of the clear Plexiglas separating the patrons from the penguins, squeezing between an older couple and their young son. Her face lights up when she turns back to her mother to make sure she's looking too.

"Look, look, they're there!" she yells, pure childlike excitement exuding from every pore. Kate watches her lift Tuxedo up, making sure he's facing forward. "Look, Tuxedo, it's your family!"

"Don't lift him too high, Jules," Kate calls out, and she notices the couple glance down at Juliana, pleasant smiles on their faces.

The man and woman make their exit, tugging their son along as they leave the exhibit, but they stop in front of her for a few seconds first. "She's precious," the wife says, her eyes kind. "You and your husband must be proud."

Kate looks over, watches Jules stand up on her tiptoes to get a better look, her face practically squished against the glass and the hand not clutching at Tuxedo pressed flat against it, and a warm smile spreads across her face.

"Thank you," she breathes. "We are."

They smile back politely, and then they're gone, leaving just Kate and Juliana with three other people with the penguins.

The reptile house is next, but Juliana hides her face in her mother's shirt, decides very quickly that she doesn't like snakes and doesn't want to watch them slide around in the dirt. The alligators and crocodiles don't fare much better and are deemed "too slimy" by her daughter.

She loves the gorilla exhibit, which Kate is continuously shocked by since she doesn't seem to like furry things that are so much bigger than her—Rick can be thanked for her fear of big foot, despite his repeat assertions that the documentary was "totally kid friendly" and "not at all scary," and bears are a definite no no in their household—but she smiles at the joy on the girl's face regardless.

Juliana growls at the monkeys, jumps up and down on the spot with her arms in true monkey form, hoping for a reaction from the primates. After ten minutes of _ooh-ooh, aah-ahh_ ing at them, people laughing and offering her amused smiles at her daughter's antics, one finally does the gesture back at her, and the girl practically trips over her own feet as she spins on her heels and runs back to her.

"Mommy, Mommy, did you see that? Did you see the monkey? It did it! It did it back!" she squeaks, tugging on her shirt, her excitement level through the roof.

"I did," Kate exclaims. "It was saying hi to you, sweetheart!"

The girl stays where she is but turns around again, waving happily to the monkey that'd said hello. "Do you think daddy will say hi to the monkeys with me?"

Running a hand through her hair, she smiles. "Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I think daddy would be the one to start, don't you?"

Juliana giggles. "Daddy's silly."

"Yeah," she breathes. "Daddy is silly."

The girl begins to lose steam after a few hours of wandering through the zoo, but she refuses to let Kate carry her, insists that she's not tired. Her drooping lids and the way she's dragging her feet, listing into her mother's side says otherwise, but Kate just pulls her into her side and carefully plucks Tuxedo from her grip so he doesn't fall to the ground.

"How about we call it a day, huh?"

Jules shakes her head against her leg. "No, elephants first."

"I think it's time for someone to take a nap," she tries instead, brushing the hair from her daughter's forehead.

"Elephants!"

Sighing, she stops, ushering them to the side of the walkway so they aren't in anyone's way. She takes her daughter's distraction, her attention focused on the birds behind them, to hoist her up, settle her onto her hip. She'll get too big for her to carry on her hip like this soon, but for now she's still small, still a gangly little thing much like she was as a child.

"Elephants and then home," she tells Juliana, who smiles at her, thin arms wrapping around her neck.

Despite the sluggish kid in her grip, she treks to the elephant enclosure, a happiness spreading in her chest. She's loved them ever since she was little, taking after her mom in that respect. A wistful feeling blankets her as she stares out at them, their trunks swaying as they move, and she wishes her mom was here with them to watch the elephants too. She wishes more than anything that she'd have gotten to meet her granddaughter, the little girl who wishes a Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to her photo each year.

"Mommy," she hears, breaking her from her thoughts. "Mommy, there they are, your elephants!"

"I see! Aren't they pretty?"

Juliana nods into her neck. "Uh huh. They're really pretty. I like them." She pauses for a beat. "Can we get an elephant? It can sleep in my room."

Kate chuckles, adjusting her grip on the girl. "That's very sweet, baby, but I don't think an elephant would fit in your bed with you."

"Not even a baby elephant?"

"Not even a baby elephant."

* * *

"Mommy?"

Her daughter's voice breaks the silence as she carries her into her bed later that night. After the zoo, and Juliana's nap, they'd gone out for ice cream and had a proper girl's night: Disney movies, popcorn, a blanket fort on the living room floor. It's been too long since she's spent the day just relaxing with Jules, but between school and work, her distaste for calling off—though Montgomery is more than understanding, even offers her days off when she doesn't ask—it's hard.

She pulls back the covers, gently lowers her into the bed. "Yeah?"

"Is daddy coming home?" Juliana's voice is quiet, her curious eyes staring back at her. Kate kneels down on the carpet, her hand resting on the girl's blanket-covered shin.

"Hey, where's this coming from?"

"David's daddy went away just like daddy but then he didn't come back," she says, her little chin trembling, and Kate's stomach drops, a constricting pain curling itself around her lungs. "Is daddy gonna go away like that?"

Kate clears her throat. "Listen to me, okay? Daddy is going to do everything he possibly can to come home," she promises, because that's all she can do, can't promise that Rick will absolutely come home. She can't, knows there's always the possibility that he won't, but she doesn't let herself think about that, doesn't want to even entertain the idea of explaining to their five year old that daddy won't be coming home. "He loves you very much, and I know for a fact that he can't wait to come tell you himself."

"I want daddy to come home."

"Me too, Jules," she says, bending to hug her, her heart cracking at the way Juliana's fists clutch at the fabric of her shirt. "Just remember that he loves you, always, more than anything."

"Can I have daddy's kiss now?" Juliana whispers, and Kate smiles, dusting the backs of her fingers along her daughter's cheek before standing.

Kiss delivered, she places her own to her temple and pulls the blankets over her shoulders.

"Love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, sweet girl," she exhales. "Goodnight."

* * *

She's lounging on the couch two weeks later, the end credits of Shrek 2 playing on the television and a sleepy five year old curled into a ball on her lap. Her fingers thread through her daughter's hair, a smile breaking on her face at the low, contented noises she gets in return. The girl wriggles a little, shifting until she's lying on her side, her face buried into Kate's stomach, little fists tucked under her chin.

It's late, later than she usually stays up, but after watching Shrek Jules had insisted that they needed to see the sequel too. "It's only right," she'd told her mother, bright eyes pleading with her. Because it's Friday, she'd agreed with a bop on the nose and on the condition that she goes to bed a half hour early tomorrow night.

As expected, the girl knocked out about an hour in, her head lulling against Kate's shoulder, bowl of popcorn teetering in her grip.

"Come on, sleepy head," she whispers, patting Juliana gently on the back. "Let's get you upstairs."

"Not tired."

The mumbled words only cause her to chuckle, Juliana's eyes still completely closed. "I think you are," she tells her, brushing a hand against her cheek. "Time for bed."

Her daughter groans. "But Shrek, Mommy," she whines.

"Shrek is over, Jules. You fell asleep."

"Nooooo."

Kate laughs, carefully shifting the girl into a sitting position so she can hoist her into her arms. She doesn't get a protest, just tired whines as she brings her upstairs, her head resting in the crook of her neck. Tucking her in, she watches the girl sigh, her fingers gripping at the edges of the blankets. She stays for a few minutes, eyes trained on the steady rise and fall of her chest, the way her eyelids flutter as she dreams, the way her mouth opens a little bit with each breath.

Sometimes she wonders how she got so lucky, wonders if she'll ever really remember what it was like before she had this small person to care for and love.

* * *

She curls herself into the corner of the couch, pushing at the empty bowl of popcorn on the coffee table with her feet. She switches the TV from Shrek to something else, something she can have on as background noise without paying much attention, and nurses the glass of wine she'd poured.

Kate leans back, lets her head rest against the back cushion, her eyes falling closed.

It's barely 10:00 but it's been a long week, the boys working late on a case that's had them stumped from the very beginning because she no longer can, not with a small child who needs her at home. She's been working just as hard, though, doubling her efforts when she's on shift and bringing files home to get in some extra hours after Juliana's asleep. They've just closed it, finally, and she can feel the fatigue weighing her down now, seeping into her bones.

She finishes off the wine and tells herself she'll just rest her eyes for a few minutes, then drag herself into bed.

A thud and hushed grumble wakes her up, has her body jerking upright, fists rubbing hastily at her eyes. A quick glance at the clock tells her that it's almost 1:00, that she'd fallen asleep for almost three hours. She's still on the couch, her legs tucked uncomfortably beneath her body, and she uncurls them to stand.

The hall light is off but she tiptoes through anyway, lets the tiny light of the entryway guide her. There's a figure hovering by the door, something heavy in their hands and she fights the urge to lunge just long enough to grab whatever's closest to her as a weapon and flip the light on fully. She only wishes her gun was close enough, but it's back in the bedroom and she doesn't want to risk getting it and leaving a space for this person to go upstairs, to find Jules.

Make-shift weapon poised, she pounces, only stopping when the figure comes into focus, the uniform now visible, the stunned—and utterly amused—face looking back at her.

" _Rick?_ " she breathes, heel dropping from her grip as she stares, mouth open. "Oh my god."

She runs forward, throwing herself into his embrace, arms wrapped around his neck as she cries. He drops his bag and returns the hug, his breath hot on her neck.

"Surprise," he laughs, burying his face in her hair. "Nothing like a heel to welcome a guy home." She chokes out a watery chuckle against his chest. " _God_ , I've missed you."

Kate's the one to pull back, just far enough to look at his face, her fingers still locked at the nape of his neck. Tears float in her eyes, cloud her vision, but she can't stop the dopey smile from breaking across her face.

Rick frees one hand and wipes under her eyes, swipes at the tears. He looks good; his uniform is a little rumpled from what she can only imagine was a long flight, his hair is shorter since she's last seen him, but his eyes are just as clear, if not a little red around the edges.

"How–what are you doing here?" she asks, shaking her head. "You still have..."

"It's a long story," he says, grinning down at her. "I'll tell you later, but the important thing is that I'm here with you right now."

He's right, she knows he's right. Nothing else matters. But, still...

"How long?"

"Later," he whispers, leaning down to slant his lips over hers, her body automatically canting towards him. It's soft, sweet, filled with the missed months they've spent apart and promises for everything to come. "I've missed that too."

Kate laughs, resting her forehead against his once they pull apart, their breaths mingling. "Me too."

"Is she sleeping?"

She nods sympathetically, knowing he wants nothing more than to go to their daughter. "Yeah, conked out around 9. Got through Shrek and half of Shrek 2," she tells him. "We can wake her up, though, I know she'd be thrilled."

But he shakes his head, offers her a small smile. "No, don't wake her. I can surprise her in the morning."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he says, his open palms a warm weight at the small of her back. "But can we just..."

"Let's go," she whispers, taking his hand from behind her back and leading him up the stairs, down the hall. Pushing open the door gently, careful not to make too much noise, she falls back, gestures for him to go ahead of her. "She's missed you."

He turns, hovering just ahead of her, close enough to watch his daughter's little chest rise and fall but not close enough to risk waking her.

"I've missed her more than anything," he chokes out, his eyes burning into hers. "Both of you. So much, Kate, you don't–"

"I do," she rasps, fingers coming up to brush along his jaw. "I do. _We_ do."

She decides against telling him how Jules asked if he was coming home, if he was going to "go away" like her friend David's daddy. He doesn't need that, not right now, not when he's just returned home and she has no idea how long he's here for, if he's home for good or on some kind of leave. Later, she assures herself, sometime in the future when it's all a little more certain and everything's settled, she'll tell him.

Instead, she tells him something else, something a little less painful and a little more sweet.

"She started stealing extra kisses at night," she whispers, the two of them still leaning against the door frame, his arm wrapped around her. "Said that if she took more than one that they'd disappear quicker and you'd come home sooner."

His face falls for a second, guilt rippling through his veins, but he just tightens his hold and manages a small laugh. "She did that?"

"She did. She missed you, Rick," she assures him. "You didn't think she'd just forget you while you were away, did you?"

He shakes his head but his face betrays him, the clouds of doubt circling in his eyes, and she sighs, rests her head against his chest. "Never," she promises. "She's always been a daddy's girl, you know that."

His chest vibrates against her cheek with his chuckle. "She's had me wrapped around her little fingers since the day she was born."

"Hard not to be," she says. "She carries Tuxedo everywhere with her, you know. She doesn't love it because she loves penguins, Rick, she loves it because you gave it to her."

A smile curls at the corners of his lips. "I brought her another one," he admits, and she huffs a laugh, not even surprised. "Picked it up at the airport."

"Whatever it is, she'll love it."

Silence covers them as they both stand in each others arms, staring at the small life they've created. So beautiful, so pure, so perfectly exemplifying the love that burns so brightly between them.

"Do you remember the day we met?" he asks a few minutes later, the words suddenly so loud in the quiet room.

Kate laughs against him. "How could I forget?" she counters playfully. "I went to the bar after a rough case and this _guy_ keeps staring at me from across the room, so, finally, I indulge him–" She ignores his amused grumble. "–and go over there. We drink, we talk, I actually enjoy his company, and _then_ he tells me he's in the army and ships out the next morning."

"Look at that, finally admitting you enjoyed my company," he grins, and she rolls her eyes.

"Well, you know, we _are_ married and we _do_ have a child together. I'd say that's a bit obvious, don't you think?"

"Not back then," he argues, and okay, he's got a point. Back when she'd first met him she figured she'd never see him again, that he'd ship out, meet someone else, and completely forget about her by the time he returned home. Shockingly, he did remember her, even made it a point to go back to that bar every night in hopes of finding her. He did, eventually, after about a month and following another case in which she'd needed to blow off some steam.

She hums. "No, I suppose not," she agrees, letting out a yawn. "But we got here. I think we did pretty well."

His eyes travel from her to the sleeping girl a few feet away, a soft smile gracing his lips. "We did _really_ well, Kate." At her second yawn he huffs, moves to pull Juliana's door closed and guides her back down the stairs. "Let's go to bed."

For the first time in almost a year she falls asleep in his arms, her cheek pressed against his heart.

* * *

In the morning she wakes to light spilling through the cracks in the blinds, illuminating the room in a subtle glow. If not for the solid mass beneath her, the heavy arm draped around her stomach, she'd have thought it was all a dream. Waking up on the couch to find that he's returned, surprised her in the middle of the night with his presence.

She lets out a contented sigh, relaxing into his side once more. His grip tightens on her, his arm pulling her impossibly closer as he exhales.

"Stay," he murmurs sleepily, eyes still closed. "Still early."

Peeking over to look at the clock, she realizes he's right, it's just barely six o'clock. "Another hour," she acquiesces, pressing a kiss to his chest. "Jules will be up then, and you've got a daughter to surprise, mister."

His eyes open at that, squinted and still a little bleary with sleep, a smile painted across his face. She hums, pulling the blankets up and burrowing her face into his neck, letting herself fall back into a peaceful sleep.

It's Rick who wakes this time, just after seven, and she groans the second the warmth of his body is missing.

"Shh," he whispers, leaning down to kiss her temple. "Go back to sleep. I'm making breakfast."

She considers it for a moment, catching maybe another half hour, forty-five minutes of sleep while he makes what she's sure is going to be his specialty of bacon, eggs, and toast, but instead she just stretches her limbs, reaching her arms over her head. Her eyes open slowly, fluttering in the light.

"I'm up," she tells him, pushing up onto her elbows. She's still tired, in need of a few more hours, but she knows their daughter will be up soon and she refuses to risk missing the second she sees her father's home. "Give me fifteen and I'll be in to help."

"Take your time, Kate."

He's in the kitchen already when she throws on a pair of sweats, a t-shirt, and stumbles in after him. She comes up behind him at the stove, wraps her arms around his middle and presses a kiss to his back.

"I can't believe you're really here," she breathes, resting her chin on his shirt.

Rick turns, dusts his lips to the crown of her head. "I love you."

"Mm, love you too."

She disengages seconds later to grab the orange juice from the fridge and put it on the table. Around eight, Kate goes upstairs to get the little girl she'd have assumed would've been awake by now. She's usually up and bouncing down the stairs by seven thirty, so when she creeps into her bedroom, she's surprised to find her lying in bed, awake.

"Hey, you," she says softly, coming up to the bed. "Everything okay?" Her daughter nods, hugging Tuxedo so he's buried under her chin. "You just wake up?"

"Uh huh."

Kate pushes her hair back, brushing it away from her forehead. "Well, I think you'll want to get downstairs, baby."

"Why?" Juliana asks, head tilted to the side.

"Got a surprise for you."

"What kinda surprise?"

Her mother laughs. "The kind of surprise you'll want to come down and see right away," she decides. "Come on, sleepy."

Juliana lets her help her from the bed, one little fist rubbing at her eyes, Tuxedo safely tucked under the other arm. She follows Kate out of the room and down the stairs, lids still half closed as she stifles a yawn.

Kate stops when they get past the bottom step, looking over to Rick, who's standing in front of the island. His eyes glitter with unshed tears as he looks at their daughter, one hand coming up to cover his mouth, and she smiles at him. Juliana still hasn't looked up, barely registers that her mother's stopped moving in her barely-awake state, and so she nudges her shoulder with her hip.

The girl glances up at her mother then and Kate tilts her head in the direction of the kitchen. She follows her gaze, eyes widening the second they set sight on Rick.

"Daddy!" she screams, taking off, little legs carrying her as fast as they can until she collides into his chest, arms wrapped around his neck. "Daddy!"

He's already bent down by the time she gets to him and he hooks his arms around her small body, stands with her attached to him, her legs locked behind his back.

"Hi, sweetheart," he rasps, choking back the lump in his throat.

"Daddy, I missed you!"

A few tears slide down his cheeks, and he catches Kate's eyes over Juliana's shoulders. "I missed you _so_ much, angel, so much."

Kate wipes at the moisture on her cheeks and comes up to their side, rubbing a hand along their daughter's back.

"You like your surprise?" she asks, grinning at the look of pure joy (and some tears) on the girl's face as she nods back.

"Uh huh. Best surprise ever," she tells her parents, her hold on her daddy tightening.

Standing back a little, she watches the father and daughter continue to hug, their little one showing no signs of letting go. Her heart grows at least three sizes, swells in her chest with a love so fierce she's almost surprised it doesn't burst.

"Now," Rick says once Juliana finally loosens her grip and lets him lower her to the floor, "are you sure you're my Julie? You look awfully big to be her, my little girl's still small."

"It's me, daddy!" She holds up one hand, all five fingers displayed proudly. "Not little, I'm five now!"

Shadows cast over his face, but they're gone seconds later, a proud smile on his face for their not-so-little girl. "I know," he beams, tickling at her sides, face splitting at the high pitched giggles he gets in return. "You're such a big girl now!"

Kate catches his eyes and levels him with a meaningful look. _She doesn't hold it against you_. She knows he hates that he wasn't here for her fifth birthday, wasn't here to watch her grow that extra inch and a half, but she doesn't want him to beat himself up about it.

"Big girls get ice cream, right?" she asks, batting her lashes and eliciting a loud laugh from both parents.

"For dessert," Kate muses, pinching the girl's cheek. "Big girls can have ice cream after dinner, not before breakfast."

Juliana pouts, turns to Rick with puppy dog eyes.

"Kate," he hedges, pleading eyes looking up at her, and she just huffs out an amused laugh, eyes already rolling.

"You've been back for less than 24 hours and she's already got you caving?" He nods, doesn't even bother denying it or looking at all sorry. "All right, but she's all yours when she's bouncing off the walls by noon, Daddy."

Rick hisses a _yes_ , throwing his fist into the air dramatically and whispering something into Juliana's ear. The girl nods happily, her little tongue peeking out as she looks back at her mother.

"What are you two plotting over there?"

"Nothing, Mommy," Rick assures her with a smirk, a twinkle in his eyes that contradicts his very words.

Juliana nods dutifully. "Nothin', Mommy," she parrots innocently.

She bites back a smile. "I'll go put some eggs and bacon on a plate for my two conspirators, okay?"

Rick comes over, presses a kiss to her cheek. "Your two _favorite_ conspirators though, right?"

"Definitely."

* * *

A week later they're back in the zoo, Kate watching on with her heart full, her smile wide, and her camera ready as Rick stands with Juliana in front of the primate exhibit.

Father and daughter sport matching facial expressions and postures as they speak to the monkeys, bouncing on their feet until one returns the sentiment.

"Daddy, he did it!" their daughter yells, stomping her small feet in excitement. "Mommy, do it with us! He'll say hi to you too!"

"Yeah, Mommy," Rick agrees, a broad smile on his face as he turns, extending a hand. "Join us."

She bites back the eye roll at his waggling brows, but takes his hand regardless, lets him pull her into his body.

"Daddy's silly, isn't he, Jules?"

Juliana nods. "The silliest daddy, but I love him," she says easily, attention solely on the monkeys before her.

Kate catches his gaze, nothing but pure love clouding the blue of his eyes, joy crinkling them around the edges.

"Me too, kid. Me too."

* * *

 **A/N** : Started out inspired by a prompt ("met you at a bar but it turns out you're a soldier and you're getting shipped into combat tomorrow au") and snowballed from there, into a sort of "what happened next" kind of thing. Thank you guys for reading, your comments are always appreciated.


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